I'm just waiting for TT to blow a gasket when he reads yet another post about this.
(sigh)
No. I can't stop people from doing stupid things. Or, from trying to convince others for doing stupid or experimental things at their own expense.
The facts as I understand them are:
Tire manufacturers did, and still do, design and make tires to perform with specific sized rims both diameter and width.
Honda designed the bike for the tires available at the time of manufacture. This dictated the rim width and diameter they incorporated into the bike.
Tire designs changed over the last 30 years.
Newer bikes have wider rims to function properly with the newer, wider, designs from tire manufacturers.
Can you physically put a Phillips screwdriver into your or someone else's eye? Yes.
Do Phillips screwdriver manufacturers recommend you do this? None that I am aware of.
Will someone do this anyway? Yes, I'm afraid so. And, there is no guarantee that the perpetrator will be punished, either.
Can you physically put a wide tire onto a narrow rim if you really want to? Yes.
Do tire manufacturers recommend you do this? None that I am aware of.
Will someone do this anyway? Yes, I'm afraid so. And, there is no guarantee that the perpetrator will be punished, either.
There is no concise, available, generic data on just how much performance is lost by putting a wide tire on a narrow rim. Many who do this seem primarily concerned with the tire's basic ability to roll (and something else not clearly defined inside the cranium), rather than what the actual performance envelope of the tire wheel combo actually is. Further, many have neither the means nor the ability to do the tests and measure the performance envelope of oversize tire on narrow rim combinations. Certainly little I've seen includes annoying variables like tread design, rubber composition, carcass shape/construction, road surface type/condition, temperature, and longevity.
It is unfortunate that those bold pioneers who DO have the skills, means, and opportunity to test and measure the performance envelope of oversize tires on narrow rims, don't freely offer that interesting and valuable data to those that desperately need it.
Until then, I will rely on manufacturer recommendations, as my experiences/experiments surely seem to support them. I can only suggest you do the same. As there are known reasons why an oversize tire on a narrow rim does not perform as well as a tire with the proper rim width.
Can you get thousands of miles on ill-fitting tires? Yes, it's possible.
Will you get all the traction you need when the emergency or need arrises?
For some, the image of the avant-guard daredevil is part of the allure of motorcycles, and worth the risk of experimentation. Chicks may dig scars, but they grow weary of a blank stare and wiping away the drool.
I hope whatever you decide appeases the inner cranium and leaves you with sight in both your eyes.
Despairingly yours,
